Club captain Mark Noble launched an astonishing attack on his team-mates last month following their 3-0 home defeat to Southampton.

But two games later, which have yielded four precious points, the pressure that had been mopunting on Slaven Bilic is easing.

And few could argue against his side were worthy winners against Crystal Palace, as the Hammers registered their first win since August 21.

A change of formation caught Palace on the hop before West Ham put their bodies on the line to defend Manuel Lanzini’s 19th minute strike.

After moving out of the drop zone, skipper Noble said: “Because I’ve been at the club for so long and care so much about how we play and how our results go, I felt I needed to be honest and say how it was.

West Ham player ratings v Crystal Palace

STARSPORT bring you our West Ham player ratings after their match against Crystal Palace.

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“I’ve been involved in it for 12, 13 years now. It’s not nice to pick up your phone and read how bad we are.

“People saying that we’re this and we’re that. I watched the TV this morning and how bad our defending was.

“That was a little boost for us here, just to show that we do care. We really, really care.

“When you look at it, by all accounts we’ve had a terrible start, our worst in years, but we’re only a point behind Leicester now and they won the league last year. Start winning a couple of games and it doesn’t look so bad after all.

“We’re only a point behind Leicester now and they won the league last year”

Mark Noble

“We’ve had meetings as players and with the staff. We got hammered for going out on a night out, but since that night out we’ve picked up four points. So is it a bad thing? I don’t know.”

How West Ham need to follow this up with a win over rock-bottom Sunderland back at the London Stadium on Saturday.

Their relocation has proved a nightmare, but the only agression was on the pitch at Selhurst Park as the Hammer’s sealed a long-awaited win against a subdued Palace side.

It came via Lanzini, who stole in to meet Aaron Cresswell’s superb cross.

That was the start of an eventful evening for the outstanding Cresswell, back early following a knee injury that had wrecked the start of his season.

Playing as a left-wing back in a new 3-4-3 formation to combat Palace’s widemen Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha, the switch worked a treat.

West Ham even survived Cresswell’s 75th minute red card that came after bookings inside 51 seconds for a supposed dive and a minimal tug on Zaha.

Both decisions by Martin Atkinson were wrong and ensured West Ham, who had already survived Christian Benteke’s woeful penalty miss on the stroke of half-time, needing to come through a late onslaught.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said: “This league is so cruel that you don’t have to lose a lot, only a little bit, and you are dead. Hopefully that’s over now.

“It is not that we didn’t want it in the last few games, but there was a difference. Attitude, focus and hunger.”

Palace defender James Tomkins admitted the turning point against his old club was Benteke’s spot-kick gaffe and said: “If that goes in it changes the game.

“You wouldn’t want anyone else on the ball but these things happen. I’m sure he will score the next one if he’s on them.

“He will be the first to put his hand up for the next penalty. He has been brilliant for us.”